[T3] Starting Problems

[Jim Adney]

On 28 Aug 2012 at 3:01, Terrie Ann Schmearer wrote:

> I have a '72 Fastback. Three times over the last month she has had an
> odd starting problem. All three times I had been driving between 60 -
> 63 mph. When I pull off the road and turn her off and then come back
> to her she won't start. The dash lights light up and I can hear the
> fuel pump coming on, but nothing happens. No ticking sound, no engine
> sound. The first time she started on the 3rd try, second time after
> sitting for 3 hours. Third time I waited two hours and had her towed.
> She's sitting at my mechanic this morning actually. 

Dave has already given you the scoop on the most common problems, 
which are the starter getting hot or the starter brushes getting 
worn. If your '72 is an AT (auto trans) then the heating problem is 
often worse, because the AT sheds more heat than the MT.

Another possibility that Dave didn't mention is the neutral safety 
switch in the AT shift lever. If you have an AT, and this happens 
again, try wiggling the shift lever slightly while turning the key to 
start. (This is HARD to do!) Your '72 should start in either P or N, 
so try the other one if your usual one doesn't work. If either of 
those methods makes things work again, your neutral safety switch 
needs work.

The only time this happened to me in my '73 AT, it got better more 
quickly if I opened up the engine compartment to let it cool off 
faster. That was clearly heat related.

-- 
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Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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